Desinicization

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Desinicization (Simplified Chinese: 去中国化; Traditional Chinese: 去中國化; pinyin: qùzhōngguóhuà, de + sinicization, meaning "to get rid of the Chinese influence") is a term which appeared in the political vocabulary of the Republic of China on Taiwan in 2001. It is mainly used by groups which support Chinese reunification to describe what they are opposed to, and to distinguish it from the Taiwanese localization movement.

The term exists to emphasize that pro-unification groups are not opposed to the development of a Taiwanese identity or local symbols such as language, but are opposed to viewing such an identity and symbols as separate from a broader Chinese identity.

Many Taiwan independence supporters in Taiwan also take the recent Seoul city mayor's move to change Seoul city's Chinese official name from Hancheng (漢城; Hànchéng in Standard Mandarin; Hanseong in Korean; lit. Han River City, but can be deliberately misinterpreted as Han Chinese City) to Shou'er (首爾; Shǒuěr) in 2005 as a model of desinicization.

The Dungans of Kyrgyzstan represent a less conscious process of desinicization, during which, over the course of a little more than a century (since the Hui Minorities' War), a Hui Chinese population became alienated from the literary tradition and local culture of Shaanxi and Gansu.

Examples

Chiang Kai-shek was a former Republic of China President and Kuomintang Party leader. Upon his death in the 1975 Chiang's name was posthumously honored by having the newly built airport in Taoyuan named after him. On September 6, 2006, R.O.C. President Chen Shui-bian and his cabinet officially changed the name of the airport from Chiang Kai-shek International Airport to Taoyuan International Airport, an act many consider to be another desinicization act.

In February 12th of 2007, Chen's government also changed the names of Chunghwa Post (China Post) to "Taiwan Post"[1], China Petroleum Company and China Shipbuilding Corporation to Taiwan China Petroleum and Taiwan Shipbuilding in their Chinese names, respectively. It should be noted that the companies' English titles after the name change are "CPC Corporation, Taiwan" and "CSBC Corporation, Taiwan".

The name changing issue will be a topic in the upcoming Republic of China presidential elections in Taiwan in March of 2008. Candidate and former Taipei mayor Ma Ying-Jeou has already promised to restore the printing of "Republic of China" on stamps if and when he is elected as the next President^[1].